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Download

 
Artist: Download

Group Members:

Mark Spybey, Philth, R. Dwayne Goettel, cEvin Key, Anthony Valcic, Ken "Hiwatt" Marshall

Similar Artists:

Performed Songs By:

The Key

Formal Connection With:

  • Formed: 1995, Vancouver, British Columbia, Cana
  • Genres: Electronica
  • Representative Albums: "III," "The Eyes of Stanley Pain," "Furnace"
  • Representative Songs: "Omniman," "Mothersonne," "Toooly Hooof"

Biography

As industrial and industrial-metal made great inroads on the mainstream charts during the late '90s, many early pioneers continued to record with little fanfare but a large amount of creativity, even if the astounding leaps in technology had largely altered their sound since the heyday of the 1980s. Download was originally begun by Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key and Rudolph Dwayne Goettel in 1995 as a side project from their rapidly disintegrating full-time interest. Also a part of Download were Skinny Puppy contributors Anthony Valcic and Ken Marshall, plus Philth and Mark Spybey (from Dead Voices on Air). The debut album Furnace was issued on their own SubConscious Records (and distributed by Cleopatra) in late 1995; several months earlier, however, Goettel had died from a heroin overdose.

Skinny Puppy disbanded in 1996 after the release of its final album (The Process), and Download continued with two EPs early in the year. The first, (Microscopic) included remixed tracks from Furnace, while the second (Sidewinder) was the group's first release for Nettwerk Records (though not for Key, who had released many on Nettwerk through Skinny Puppy). Second album The Eyes of Stanley Pain followed in mid-1996, and began to show the effect of the electronic dance music which Skinny Puppy had influenced a full decade before. The film soundtrack Charlie's Family appeared on Metropolis Records in 1997, followed by Download's third proper album (III) in October 1997. Effector was released three years later. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Download (band)
Top
Download
Origin Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada
Genres IDM
Post-Industrial
Ambient techno
Experimental
Years active 19951997;
20002002; 2006
Labels Subconscious Communications
Nettwerk
Cleopatra
Metropolis
Flesh Eating Ants Records
Associated acts Skinny Puppy
Mark Spybey
Genesis P. Orridge
Doubting Thomas
PlatEAU
Hilt
Tear Garden
Cyberaktif
Dead Voices On Air
Website SubconsciousStudios.com/Download
Members
cEvin Key
Phil Western
Former members
Mark Spybey
Dwayne Goettel
Anthony Valcic

Download is an electronic music group formed by Dwayne Goettel and cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy during 1994. The initial lineup also included Off & Gone's Phil Western and Mark Spybey of Dead Voices On Air, but has since been particularly fluid, with Key and Western being the only constant members after Goettel's death. Download's music has been described as post-industrial, drawing from the band's genesis as part of Skinny Puppy but also sharing common stylistic ground with such artists as Aphex Twin and Autechre. The primary instrumentation common throughout their albums is a blend of synthesizers and sampled instruments; the music is particularly centered on elements of percussion and rhythm.

Other artists that have been involved are Genesis P. Orridge, Anthony Valcic, Bill Van Rooy, and Ken Marshall. Earlier releases frequently included vocal elements and lyrics, but since III (and Mark Spybey's departure in 1996) their work has been strictly instrumental.

Contents

History

Furnace and Microscopic

In the first era of Download's career, the band's sound was an Experimental Industrial style which featured vocals by Mark Spybey and guest vocals by Genesis P. Orridge. Their first LP, Furnace, was arguably their least accessible--most of the tracks lasted for over four minutes, some lasting as long as nine minutes. Their next release, the Microscopic EP continued this style. It featured three remixes of tracks from Furnace (only one of which was remixed by the band itself, the other two were remixed by Biosphere and Newt), along with five original tracks.

Charlie's Family

Charlie's Family was another experimental industrial LP by Download, except this LP was a soundtrack to the movie of the same name, and it had significantly different sound than the previous two releases. Instead of the beat-oriented music that dominated Furnace and Microscopic, this LP's music was mostly dominated by a simple beat along with many samples of anything from women orgasming to airplanes taking off.

The Eyes of Stanley Pain and Sidewinder

What could be considered Download's third era to one fan could be considered a revisit to their first style by the next. The Eyes of Stanley Pain is arguably Download's most diverse-sounding and accessible Industrial album. It spanned 14 tracks, most of which were about four or five minutes long. The only exceptions were the tracks "Glassblower" and "Collision", which were 3:02 and 10:38, respectively. Later that year, the EP Sidewinder was released by the band. In the same vein as their first EP--Microscopic--it contained eight tracks, except four were remixes. Three were remixes by Download of songs from The Eyes of Stanley Pain, and one was a remix of the song "Attalal" from Furnace by the band Haujobb (although the packaging of Sidewinder spells it "Attallal"). The other four songs were original songs recorded by Download, and the last of Download's post-industrial era.

III and Effector

III marked a turning point for Download. Their sound became more melodic and accessible while still retaining the experimental quirks of their older material. Their next album Effector continued this direction.

III Steps Forward and Inception

Two more albums, III Steps Forward and Inception were released as part of Subconscious Studio's From The Vault series. Inception contained outtakes from Download's more experimental early era, while III Steps Forward included outtakes from the III and Effector eras as well as new tracks. Although the original pressing of each was limited to 1000 copies, 2nd pressing editions are currently available from Subconscious Studio's website.

Fixer

In December 2006, cEvin Key announced that new material has been recorded for a new album (entitled Fixer). The album was released inn April 2007.

A special-edition of Furnace was also released with Subconscious' From the Vault II series. The new release includes a second disc with a collection of the live jams and improvisations that were the basis of the finished album.

Discography

Title Release date Label Notes
Furnace October 3, 1995 Cleopatra,
Subconscious Communications
Re-released in 2007 as part of
the Vault II series with bonus disc
Microscopic (EP) January 9, 1996 Cleopatra,
Subconscious Communications
Charlie's Family 1996 Metropolis,
Subconscious Communications
Sidewinder (EP) April 30, 1996 Nettwerk
The Eyes of Stanley Pain May 28, 1996 Nettwerk,
Subconscious Communications
Music video for "Glassblower"
directed by William Morrison
III October 21, 1997 Nettwerk,
Subconscious Communications
Effector October 24, 2000 Nettwerk,
Subconscious Communications
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 (Compilation) January, 2002 Subconscious Communications From the Vault #1 (of 7),
Limited to 1000 copies
III Steps Forward April, 2002 Subconscious Communications From the Vault #3 (of 7),
Limited to 1000 copies
Fixer April, 2007 Subconscious Communications From the Vault II
HElicopTEr 2009 Subconscious Communications Beyond the Vault

External links


 
 

 

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